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Anxiety and depression common with lupus

Published: June 15, 2009 at 10:12 PM

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark, June 15 (UPI) -- Some 93 percent of patients with
lupus erythematosus suffer anxiety and depression affecting physical and
emotional quality of life, Italian researchers say.

In the study, 92.8 percent of 56 patients who were diagnosed with systemic
lupus erythematosus had an element of confirmed neuropsychiatric
involvement -- including anxiety, depression, mild cognitive deficits and
major neuropsychiatric involvement.

Several other conditions that may occur alongside systemic lupus
erythematosus were also shown to influence aspects of quality of life
including:

-- Cutaneous, or skin, conditions such as Raynaud's phenomenon, reported
by 37.5 percent of the patients.

-- Serositis reported by 8.9 percent of the patients.

-- Hyperhomocysteinemia, a blood disorder that is a risk factor for
coronary artery disease, was reported by 39.3 percent of patients.

-- Anti-phospholipid antibodies, a disorder of coagulation, was reported
by 66.1 percent.

"People with systemic lupus erythematosus experience a range of both
psychological and physical symptoms which can negatively impact their
quality of life," study leader Dr. Paola Tomietto of the University of
Trieste, Italy, said in a statement. "Clinicians should try to identify
and address the presence of mood disorders in their systemic lupus
erythematosus patients in order to improve both their emotional quality of
life but and, ultimately, their physical functioning."

The study was presented at European League Against Rheumatism at the
annual congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen,
Denmark.

UPI